Rs. 90 crores worth railway property damaged vandalised during CAA protests in India.
India’s north eastern is worst affected because of West Bengal falls in NE Railway, the total loss alone has been estimated up to Rs. 72.19 crore said RPF DG Arun Kumar, Source – Hindustan times
In past 10 days estimated property of 72 Crore is lost during country-wide anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests. South Eastern Railways was second with property losses worth Rs 12.75 crore, followed by North Eastern Frontier Railways that lost Rs 2.98 crore in damages.
Railway administrator reports that most attacks agitated after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s rally against the CAA. Situation has improved now there is no violence reported in Bengal after some days past after CM’s rally.
From sources we got to know total 85 FIRs for the violent incidents that also led to injuries to a dozen employees. Most of the people identified through the videos of the violence and we have registered FIRs against them according to RPF DG.
Due to violence train services were cancelled, causing hardship to thousand to thousands of passengers for which railway is yet to calculate revenue losses. Besides structural damage, scores of train services were cancelled, causing hardship to thousands of passengers for which railway is yet to calculate revenue losses.
Stations like Sealdah, Beldanga, Lalgola, Krishna Nagar, Malda, Tildanga, Manigram, Lohapur, Deola, Mahipal Road, Sakopar were among more than 20 stations and halts in West Bengal that bore the fury of the mob. In the North Frontier section, parts of the Harishchandrapur, Katihar and Bhaluka Road stations were damaged. Besides this, eight level crossings were also damaged in different sections by the protesters between December 13 and December 15.
“If anyone is destroying railway property, then I ask the chief minister of the particular state to initiate stringent action just as Sardar Vallabhai Patel had taken to merge Hyderabad with India,” he said at Hubballi. When asked what he meant by stringent action, Angadi said, “Stringent action means shoot at sight…”
This was in response to questions by reporters who asked him about the steps taken to prevent damage to Railway property due to CAA related protests. The Railways has rushed about nine companies of RPF to trouble spots while eight RPSF are already being deployed in these affected zones. One company consists of about 100 personnel.
Railway services between West Bengal and Northeast were brought to a complete halt on Monday on account of ongoing agitations. Officials said all trains heading from Howrah, Sealdah and Kolkata stations to north Bengal have also been suspended until further notice, keeping in mind the safety of passengers.